In the process of ecological restoration planning, Applied Ecological Services (AES) used both bare
earth and first return LiDAR datasets to better understand the natural resources and cultural history of
Stronghold Camp and Retreat Center located in central Ogle County, Illinois. Situated along the scenic
bluffs of the Rock River, this property has a diverse and rich combination of karst, cultural and vegetation
resources that were mapped quickly and accurately with LiDAR data.

LiDAR elevation data has been incorporated into most aspects of flood
studies at Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Office of Water Resources.
LiDAR data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping applications have greatly improved the efficiency and accuracy of traditional water resource analyses.

The Clarence Smith farm, located in northwest Kendall County, Illinois, contains a natural depression (~5 acres) that has historically been prone to flooding. LiDAR elevation data of the area created a detailed image that can be used as an additional tool in planning future repairs to the existing field tile system.

The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) has made a huge commitment, signing a Cooperating Technical
Partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to perform the full spectrum
of tasks necessary to "modernize" Illinois' Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). High-resoultion LiDAR elevation data is an
indispensible component of that work.

Newly acquired LiDAR data has been used to generate detailed surface topography maps for
Grundy County. These maps show that in some cases the roughly 2 feet of ground subsidence,
that was part of longwall mining operations, can still be detected over 100 years later.

LiDAR elevation data has been acquired and used in the mapping of the Oregon 7.5-minute Quadrangle in Ogle County, Illinois.The high-resolution data allows for accurate location of field observations and results in higher quality geologic maps.

Illinois has over 58,000 reported archaeological sites containing 9000+ prehistoric earthen mounds. Many of these mounds sites were reported early in the last century and the records are missing critical data on location, size, numbers, and current condition. Since mounds are protected by state law their location and condition is important information for both the preservationist and development communities.

Lineaments, sinkholes and some other karst features can be excellent groundwater flow paths. This can lead to potential groundwater contamination in areas with high volumes of contaminants at the ground surface. Detailed LiDAR elevation data have great value for the use in characterization of Karst Terrane which can lead to proper regulation of surface materials and waste in those areas.

Illinois State Geological Survey scientists are using LiDAR elevation data to better understand
the fabric and geometry of the crevice karst aquifers that constitute the groundwater resources of Jo Daviess
County in northwestern Illinois.Collapse of sediment into crevices creates sinkholes that can be directly oberved
in the LiDAR elevation data.

Ice-walled lake plains are periglacial landforms that formed after glacial ice stagnates.
Ranging from 30 feet to 6 miles across, there are more than 2,500 of them in Illinois,
with the highest concentrations in DeKalb, Kane, and Livingston Counties. They also occur
elsewhere in North America, most notably in the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
In Illinois, ice-walled lake plains are subtle landforms, and shaded relief maps of LiDAR
data are instrumental in helping to identify and map them.

Sand dunes are a particularly prominent landform feature within the Green River Lowland of Whiteside
County. The exceptional horizontal resolution (~3 ft.) and vertical resolution (~1 ft.)
of LiDAR elevation data makes it ideal for examining the morphology of these dunes, which have
heretofore not been mapped in this detail.